Golden Heart, Silver Soul
by SpringFallionLettuce
Summary: All of Lyra's dreams come true the day she gets to pick her first pokemon, and is chosen by 2 professors to complete their missions, along with her own dream: Becoming the best pokemon trainer in the Johto Region. In Lyra's confident mind, this sounds pretty easy, but what happens when a certain red-head is thrown into the mix? SilverxLyra. Rated T for now, may change.
1. Chapter 1

**A pokemon story! Woooo! I just started playing Heartgold, so I felt compelled to make a fanfiction. You understand.**

* * *

Are you a boy, or a girl?

-Girl-

Are you sure?

-Yes-

Ok, what is your name?

-Lyra-

Are you sure?

-Yes-

* * *

My eyes fluttered open to view the blurry overview of my bedroom. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the light, and when I did, I immediately sat up and stretched.

So yeah, I'm Lyra, an ordinary teen in a cool, pokemon-filled world. I'm pretty ordinary, with brown hair and eyes. Wait, if I'm talking to you, you know what I look like, so why bother? Anyway…

I got dressed and tied my boring hair into curving spoink-tails, and popped on my hat. I never took it off, unless I was showering or sleeping, because dad gave it to me before he… left on his trip.

The smell of pancakes floated into my room, and lead me downstairs to a plate at the table with Mom.

"Professor Elm next door wanted to see you, Lyra. Go over there right after breakfast, ok?" she said between mouthfuls, and I nodded, finishing my food and picking up my bag.

I walked to the door, smiling at her slightly worried face, and waved. "Bye Mom!" I called out before walking outside and to the lab. No joke, it's literally only a few yards from our house. Talk about convenience!

As I strolled through New Bark town, a familiar Marill bumped into me, squeaked, and ran to its owner.

"Hey Lyra!" Ethan, my best friend, called and waved like a little child. He turned his black and yellow cap backwards before embracing his pokemon and running off again. I rolled my eyes and waved it off, continuing to the Lab.

I continued walking to the lab, when I noticed a red-headed boy peering inside through the window with a smirk. Then I noticed… more of his features. His red hair reached almost to his shoulders then turned out in a jagged pattern. He had this… blueish purple coat with red trim. Short version?

Yeah, I admit he was kinda cute.

Note, please, that this was before he turned and paused to look at me, smirking. As I started to get annoyed, that smirk turned into a glare.

"What're you looking at?" he shouted and pushed me back angrily. I fell onto the ground and gritted my teeth in anger.

"Jerk…" I mumbled before going into the lab. Professor Elm turned away from his work and smiled.

"Hello, Lyra, I've been waiting for you!" he said, his smile turning into a curious expression of a child, then to a proud teacher. Elm was like that. "Do you know anything about my research?"

I nodded, and he continued. "As you know, Pokemon are carried in poke balls these days, but before the poke ball was invented, people used to walk with their Pokemon, like your friend Ethan does. Poke balls are great because you can carry many Pokemon at once, but walking with Pokemon must have its advantages."

All of this information was causing me to get a bit suspicious. Professor Elm liked to inform people of the past, sure, but he never lectured so much… I turned my attention back to his voice.

"It could have something to do with how Pokemon grow or evolve… So I'm going to give you a Pokemon!"

…Wait, what?

I was shocked, to say the least. I knew he was going somewhere with all this, but giving me a Pokemon? Arceus, yes!

"Lyra! Can you walk beside your Pokemon, outside of its poke ball, to see if this brings any special feelings or bonds between Pokemon and people?"

My face broke out into a huge smile. "Of course I can, Professor!" I immediately answered.

Professor Elm smiled back and gestured to a machine nearby. "The device over there has some Pokemon you could choose from…" he explained, but was interrupted by a beeping noise. Elm rushed over to his computer and read the screen.

"Oh hey! I got an email!" he exclaimed in excitement, and I rolled my eyes. It's just an email…

"… Hm… Uh-huh… Ok…" came his mumbling as he read, and I resisted the urge to tap my foot in impatience. That's when I heard a faint sound coming from the window, and noticed that jerk still looking inside! I shot him a glare and huffed, turning back to Professor Elm as he turned around and returned to his previous spot.

I glanced over at the table-like device again as Elm spoke. "Hey, listen. I have this acquaintance that people call Mr. Pokemon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. Anyway, I just got an email from him saying that this time it's the real deal," the professor explained, pausing to let the information sink in.

"It's probably just another Pokemon egg, but we're still so busy with our Pokemon research…" Professor Elm explained, and then looked up. Talk about turning a frown upside-down…

"Wait! I know! You can go in our place, right? Can we count on you?" he asked with narrowed, then softening eyes. That was the first time Elm actually intimidated me, and it flew away as quickly as it came. "You can choose one of those pokemon over there."

Finally!

I walked over to the device, listening to the Professor's instructions and touching each poke ball to examine their contents, glancing smugly at the window where the red-head's expression had turned into a jealous glare.

"Cyndaquil, the Fire-Type starter." Nah...

"Totodile, the Water-Type starter." Not much of a swimmer.

"Chikorita, the Grass-Type starter."

My eyes widened as I examined the picture of Chikorita. He was actually pretty cute. I picked up the poke ball and the device asked if I was sure. I threw the bright, shiny poke ball into the air and released Chikorita, wrapping it in a hug. "Do you want to be my Pokemon, Chikorita?" I asked.

The grass-type nuzzled me and nodded happily. "Chik! Chikorita!" it exclaimed.

Professor Elm tapped my shoulder, taking me out of the trance I was in. "Would you like to give a nickname to your Pokemon?" he asked, and I turned back to Chik. That's it! Chik!

"Yes. Chik," I replied, and hugged my Pokemon tighter, allowing it to stay in my embrace as I stood up and brushed one of my Spoink-tails back into place.

The professor's eyes brightened as I set Chikorita back onto the ground. "How do you like walking with your Pokemon? It's not too bad, is it?" he asked, and I laughed in response as Chik nuzzled my ankle. "You can take it all the way to Mr. Pokemon's house. If your Pokemon gets hurt…" he stopped and turned around, toward the machine behind him.

"You should heal it with this machine. It's so easy to use, just check the PC on my desk!" Erm, I'll pass.

"Mr. Pokemon goes everywhere and finds rarities. His house is past Cherrygrove City. Go north a little past it. I'm counting on you, Lyra!" he finished. Dang, Elm does know how to give an ego-boost, doesn't he? Oh well. I looked down at Chikorita, and nodded. I then walked toward the door, only to be stopped by a lab assistant.

"Lyra, I want you to have these," he explained, handing me some potions. "If your Pokemon are hurt, don't hesitate to use one. Good luck."

With that, I left the lab, and began my adventure.

**Ok guys, I think this is enough writing for today! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review to suggest anything you want to see improved, or a scene you want to be added!**

**Note: Also, I'm officially grounding my two other fanfictions, as they just... lost my interest. Promise the same won't happen here! At least for a while.**


	2. Chapter 2

**….No comment. OH! Forgot to add this on the previous chapter:**

**Disclaimer: Ok! I admit it! I don't own pokemon! –cries-**

Or not.

Ethan ran up to me again, his Marill hot at his heels, eyes filled with curiosity, like a little kid. "Hey Lyra! So you chose Chikorita, huh? Cool! You should go show your mom!" he suggested, smiling and waving to me before preparing to walk off.

Marill giggled, having other ideas, and tripped his owner, bolting off through New Bark.

"Why you-" Ethan shouted angrily as he fell on his butt, then to my surprise, started he started laughing, and ran after his pokemon. I watched them, bewildered, before sighing and shaking my head. That kid could be pretty crazy…

I decided to continue, and played the cool kid act as I passed red-head, turning up my nose and letting out a "Humf!" which Chik copied along with my other actions. I could practically see the rolling of his dark, red, surprisingly cute eyes… Stop it Lyra!

I mentally slapped myself out of that trance and realized I was still walking. Deciding a stroll would not help, I took up Ethan's suggestion and decided to show Chik to my mom. I could only pray that she wouldn't pinch the poor thing's cheeks.

"Oh my gosh! Sweetheart, is that a pokemon!?" she exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes.

"No, Mom, it's Santa Claus," I replied, my voice dripping with obvious sarcasm, but she paid no heed and instead began petting the patient Chik for what seemed like an hour before finally coming to her senses.

She stood up straight with a small 'ahem' and retrieved my bag. "Well, seeing that Pokemon, I suppose that means you're leaving New Bark… I took the time to fill your bag with some useful things, along with your Pokegear, which just came back from the repair shop," she explained, and I took the bag.

I didn't leave just yet though. First I swung the bag over my shoulders and wrapped my arms around my mom as best as I could. "I'll miss you, no matter how short the distance," I whispered, my voice even more muffled from the hug. After a while, Mom pulled back, kissed my forehead, and smiled.

"I have a feeling this little errand isn't as little as it seems, sweetheart. Go up to your room and check if you want to bring anything that isn't already with you. I'll keep Chikorita company," she assured, obviously referring to a single item, which I automatically remembered and gave a weak smile back before leaving the two and climbing the stairs into my room.

As my bed came into sight, I quickly turned myself in that direction and plopped onto the bed, carefully removing the pillow and gazing down at the picture. It was of Mom and Dad on either side of me, an arm around each of them as I smiled cheerfully at the camera.

It was about then that I hugged the picture, buried my face in the pillow, and cried my heart out.

I got back up after maybe the shortest nap I'd ever taken, and stretched. You know, just for the heck of it. Chik was bouncing up and down on the bed in exasperation, obviously the cause of my short dream.

Oh well, time to go. "Chik, come on, let's not keep this Mr. Pokemon guy waiting, or he might throw his eggs at us," I snickered, remembering Professor Elm's remark on how it was probably 'Just another egg.'

Walking downstairs, I noticed that Mom was waiting for me, her hands on her hips and eyes narrowed. "Well? Do you have everything?" she asked suspiciously. I let out an annoyed sigh and nodded. "Yeah."

"Pokegear?"

"Yes."

"Save?"

"Yes."

"Town Map disc?"

"Yes."

"Options?"

"Yes."

"Chikorita?"

"Mom, do you actually think I was going to forget my own pokemon!?" I exclaimed, crossing my arms over my chest and letting out a huff, while Chik stood next to me, looking extremely offended by the mere suggestion.

My mom held up her hands in surrender, rolling her eyes at our reactions. "Just one more thing, do you have your poke balls?" she asked. I tilted my head in confusion, and she gasped. "_You don't have any poke balls!?_ Oh dear, thank Arceus I asked! Take these," she said, placing 5 standard poke balls, like the one Chikorita never went into, into my bag. Because that wasn't an awkward stretch at all.

With that, I waved my mom good bye- again- and left, crossing the path of New Bark town toward the ever intimidating tall grass. But wouldn't you know it, I found myself in another delay. "Wait just a second!" he called, abruptly leaving the lab to speak with me.

"I almost completely forgot about this! Here, I'll give you my number," he explained, and I rolled my eyes. Oh I'll live… as long as he didn't text me every ten minutes like Ethan did when he first got his own Pokegear. He then registered his number in my Pokegear, and disappeared into the lab once more.

"Oh thank Arceus, can I just go now?!" I grumbled, and Chik added a sigh and string of parts of his name in agreement.

Passing the line of trees signaling a change of atmosphere, I came upon a sign signaling the Route number (29, if you're curious), and stared at the grass for a moment. "Come on, Chik, we can do this," I assured the Chikorita, but as I took a deep breath, I realized that my assurance was directed toward myself more than anything else.

That was when Chik let out a small, almost cute growl, and sprinted from my side, disappearing into the foliage. I panicked, running after her and pushing through the grass. "Chik! Chik?" I called, and felt his small head rub against my leg. Never had I been so relieved.

Never had I been so surprised.

At that same moment, a brown blur burst into the air where it was visible, and I remembered seeing something like it once before. A pidgey! This was my chance for Chik to get some training in!

"Chik! Use… tackle!" I shouted, unsure of what moves the grass-type knew, but thought of tackle as one of those moves that all Pokemon start out with. Chikorita, having awaited my command, jumped after the bird pokemon and tackled it to the ground, the impact causing the Pidgey to faint.

I punched the air with a cheer. "Woohoo! Go Chik, that was great!" I praised and embraced the little Pokemon, only to put him down and continue through the grass.

* * *

So yeah, about 6 battles and one learned move (Vine Whip) later, I finally reached Cherrygrove City, leaning down and resting my hands on my knees, panting dramatically alongside Chik, who looked like it was his freaking birthday from all the experience he just collected.

I finally looked up, taking in the perfectly painted white fences and weeded flowers, the first sign of civilization I'd seen in years!

Well, probably not years…

Ok, maybe around 10 minutes… Anyway…

I entered the town, only for this old dude to sprint up to me like he was as limber as a five year old. "You're a rookie trainer, aren't you? I can tell!" he exclaimed. Gee, thanks. "That's ok! Everyone's a rookie at some point!" he amended, chuckling, and I finally returned his smile. Was it that obvious that I had been offended? Oh well.

"If you'd like, I can teach you a few things," he offered, and I took a moment to sigh with relief, gently petting Chik, who chirped her name in agreement to my reaction. "That would be great," I replied.

He nodded. "Ok then, follow me!" was all I heard before getting left in the freaking dust. As my shock cleared, I realized he was a few yards away, and had stopped due to my reaction. "Oh, you don't have any Running Shoes, do you? I'll try to go extra slowly, then!"

With a nod from me, the old man continued, stopping in front of a red roofed building. "This is a pokemon center, they heal your pokemon in no time at all, and there's cheap if not completely free lodging! You'll be relying on them a lot, so you better learn about them while you can!" he explained, and then continued to a blue roofed building with an expensive looking spinning blue sign.

"This is a Pokemon Mart. They sell poke balls for catching wild Pokemon and other useful items," he continued, not waiting for a reaction before continuing his I'm-totally-not-over-a-hundred-years-old jog.

Stopping at a beaten path like the one I entered the city at, he paused again. "This is Rout 30. Trainers will be battling their Pokemon there. If you go a little farther, you'll see Mr. Pokemon's house," the old man instructed, which caught Chik and my attention. The dude Professor Elm wanted us to visit! Aha, thanks Century Old Dude!

My little zone-out caused me to be left behind, and I had to sprint to keep up with him as he reached the beach. "This is the sea, as you can see," he began. Ha, I _see_ what you did there.

"Some Pokemon are found only in water!" he continued, and ran off again. By this time even Chik was out of breath, but I did my best to keep her motivated as we arrived in front of a house.

"This is my house! To show my gratitude for you keeping up with me, I'll give you my Running Shoes!" the man finished cheerfully, and my eyes widened. Hey, it's his choice if he wants to go barefoot. I want those super shoes _STAT!_

He took off the shoes as I took off mine and put them into my bag, which lay wearily over my shoulder. Surprisingly, the shoes fit like a glove. I almost didn't notice that the old man had left.

"Oh dear, Chik, let's hope not everyone is so hyper in this town…" I grumbled, scratching the pokemon. "Why not try out that Pokemon Center? You look pretty tired from all that fighting."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry that Silver hasn't showed up much yet, I'm going to mainly follow the gameplay as far as encounters go, and for all those people wondering: Yes, all of those lines from NPCs are _mostly_ accurate.**

I exited the Pokemon Center, Chik in my arms and chirping rather happily, when I noticed a strangely bright red blur hit the tip of my vision.

"Huh? Chik, did you see that?" I asked, but simply got a confused head tilt in reply. I shrugged, probably just a Pokemon who was playing around.

Ignoring the Pokemon Mart for now, I continued on to Route 30, allowing Chik to jump from my arms and onto the ground beside me. "He said that trainers might be battling around here, so be on your watch, ok?" I warned him before entering the tall grass.

Surprisingly, no pokemon jumped out just then, which earned my sigh of relief, when I saw a house in the distance. "We made it!" I squealed, sprinting toward the house and noticing a strange tree nearby. I shrugged it off, and went inside.

The man didn't respond right away, but when I went over to him, he looked up. "People usually come to my house thinking its Mr. Pokemon's house," he explained.

Dangit.

"You did mean to come to my house, right?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh, yeah, sure," I replied after a moment of hesitation, and his face broke out into a smile. "Here, due to your kindness, I'll give you this!" The man said, and handed me a box. "It's an Apricorn box! Use it to hold your Apricorns in!"

Ok, I totally didn't need this, but this guy didn't look like one of those rare 'pretty criers'.

So that was that. I thanked him as humbly as possible, and left, continuing down the path with the box in my bag and Chik by my side.

It turns out Mr. Pokemon's house was about two times the walk, but through all that, I only got attacked by one Rattata. Oh well, Chik got a ton of experience from the trip to Cherrygrove, so I guess it makes up for this.

The house was a bit bigger, with an actual mailbox and fence. I knocked, and was graciously let in by a man who had similar attire to Professor Elm. Strangely enough, it was a different man who walked up to me and shook my hand. "You must be Lyra!"

I nodded and took Chik into my arms, as he looked a tiny bit uncomfortable due to the strange two.

"It was I who sent an email to Professor Elm earlier," Mr. Pokemon continued, leading me farther into the house and going over to a strange fridge-type machine.

He took out a package with as much care as I would have with a baby, -which I guess was justified, because it in some sense _was _a baby pokemon- and handed it to me. "This is what I want Professor Elm to examine. A friend of mine from Ecruteak gave it to me. I bet you can't find this Egg anywhere else in Johto!" he somewhat boasted, chuckling.

_Continuing on…_

I had sort of tuned him out for a moment to think about that, but immediately went back to listening eagerly. "-from famous Professor Oak!" Mr. Pokemon finished.

At this point, Chik had walked over to the nearest piece of furniture, which was a couch near the fridge where Mr. Pokemon took the egg from. That was also when the man who let me in walked over to us and joined the conversation. "And with that…" he began, "I'm Professor Oak, a pokemon researcher!"

Wow, a pokemon researcher like Elm? Silly me, I thought they were somewhat rare...

"So you're Lyra?"

"Yes sir," I replied with a warm smile.

He nodded, as if showing respect for my confidence. "I was just visiting my friend Mr. Pokemon. I heard you were running an errand for Professor Elm, so I waited here," Oak said, as his eyes drifted over to Chik, who had returned to my side.

"Oh, what's this? A rare pokemon! I see! You must be helping Professor Elm's research! I think I understand why Elm gave you that pokemon! You will treat your pokemon with love and care, it seems," he said, kneeling down to pet the willing grass-type. Note to self: Naps increase socialness.

Straightening up as Chik once again hid behind my legs, he continued once more. "Ah! You seem to be dependable, how would you like to help me out?" Oak asked, but didn't wait for an answer. Rude.

"See, this is the latest addition of the Pokedex. It automatically records data of Pokemon you've seen or caught. It's a high-tech encyclopedia! I'd like you to have it," he finally finished, handing me the device, which I graciously put into my bag, which was quickly filling up, and thanked him. "I'm honored, sir."

"Now, I have to go. I'm afraid I might be late for my Radio show! Lyra, I feel we will meet eachother again soon. Take my Pokegear number, just in case," The professor insisted, taking my Pokegear and registering himself before walking out.

You'd think that this little adventure, after so many setbacks, would turn into a breeze now that I knew the way back.

Nah.

I was back in Cherrygrove city when my Pokegear began ringing. Returning Chik to his poke ball and handing it to the nurse, I walked outside for more quiet, and answered the call from Professor Elm.

"H-Hello, Lyra? It's a disaster! Um, um, it's just terrible!" he cried. Surprised as I was, I knew I needed to calm him down.

"Professor, slow down. What happened? Are you ok?" I asked, not bothering to hide my concern.

He continued mumbling for a while, and then shouted again. "Just please get back here now!" followed by a click, then silence. I was really worried now as I released Chik again after the nurse was done, and, seeing my expression, he was as well.

"Or? Chik ita?" he asked, nudging my leg, and before I knew it, I told him everything.

The grass-type gave me an assuring smile, and, after a moment, I smiled back. Elm was probably just overreacting about something…

We continued walking until meeting the edge of the City and the beginning of Route 29 again, when I spotted that same red blur from before, which finally showed itself to be…

Oh, that jerk.

I narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms. "What do you want?" I asked. He obviously hadn't come for a friendly chat. Who smirks like that when they want to be social?

"… You got a pokemon from the lab. What a waste," he mocked, revealing a poke ball. "That's a pokemon that's too good for a wimp like you."

At this point, even cheerful little Chik was glaring daggers at the red-head.

He blew our glares off, cockily continuing. "Don't you get what I'm saying? I too have a good pokemon, and with it I'll prove what a wimp you really are!" he shouted, releasing a small blue pokemon from the ball with a flame on his back. Cyndaquil? That was one of the pokemon from the lab!

Instead of playing detective, though, I decided to teach this guy a lesson. "_Go, Chikorita!_" I shouted as well, clenching my fists in anger.

"_Cyndaquil, use Leer!_" he commanded, and the pokemon gave a somewhat intimidating look toward Chik. After a moment, I knew that just standing there would leave the poor thing vulnerable, so I jumped into action. It was a fire type. Fire burns grass, so no Vine Whip today…

"_Chikorita, use Tackle!_"

"_Cyndaquil, use Tackle as well!_"

The fight took a while, but since this guy made the mistake of using a move that dealt no damage, I immediately took the upper hand. Cyndaquil turned out to be several levels below, maybe still at level 5 like Chik was when I just got him.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as red-head boy huffed. "Humf! You're doing ok for someone so weak…"

Seriously? I was digging his grave and he made some cocky remark? _That was it!_ "Chik, use tackle, and finish this jerk off!" I cried out, and the grass-type nodded, understanding of my anger, and sprinted forward onto Cyndaquil. When, after several nips just for the fun of it, Chik got off, the fire-type below was still.

It had fainted. I won.

Never have I been so smug. _Ever._

I took a very tired Chik into my arms, and took out his poke ball. "Come on, little guy, you need some rest," I murmured, not missing the way that the boy's eyes were now shadowed by his bangs as he gritted his teeth and called back Cyndaquil.

"…Humph! Are you happy you won?" he growled, and I smiled.

"Mhm."

He looked up, rage in his eyes. "You little…!"

I shrugged, but then he took a step closer and practically shouted again. "You want to know who I am!? I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokemon trainer, and you can't stop me with your sad excuse for a pokemon!"

This caused my face to flush with anger. No one insults Chik!

Before I could even get a word out of my mouth, though, he shoved past me and continued on to Cherrygrove.

No more setbacks, right? Ha, no.

Yeah, when I turned to go, I saw a lone Trainer Card on the ground. I obviously picked it up, looking for the name so I could ask around and return it, when I heard a growl worthy of a pissed-off lion behind me, and saw red-head boy staring at the card in my hand.

"Give me back my card, wimp!" he grunted, yanking the card from my hands and storming off.

I got up, brushing off the dust that I then realized wasn't there, and watched him go. I turned as well, followed by Chik, before waving. "Sorry… Silver," I called back, and snickered as he stiffened.

* * *

It took me a little while to arrive back at New Bark town, and by then, Chikorita had gained enough experience to be brought up to level 9, but that was not the most important thing right then.

What the most important thing, I told myself as I entered the lab, was why there was a police officer talking to Professor Elm.

The police officer immediately began his little interrogation as he spotted me. Starting with, "Who are you? We are investigating the case of the stolen pokemon! Rule number 1: Whoever did it will come to the site!" he paused, "Oh my, so you must have done it!" the officer gasped into my face, but was interrupted as Ethan and his Marill suddenly burst into the lab.

"Hold on a second, Lyra had nothing to do with it! I saw it, a red haired boy was looking into the building!" he protested.

I knew it! That's why Silver had a Cyndaquil!

"Um, sir, I battled a red-headed boy over at Cherrygrove who had one of the pokemon that was here at the lab," I cut in. The officer turned, wide eyed, and took out a notebook.

"Oh? Did you happen to get his name?" he asked, ready to write.

That's when I stopped and silently gulped. He was a thief, and a jerk at that, so why did I hesitate. He needs to face justice!

Then I remembered...

_I shrugged, but then he took a step closer and practically shouted again. "You want to know who I am!? I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokemon trainer, and you can't stop me with your sad excuse for a pokemon!"_

Ok, he insulted me, so that wasn't the best argument, but just ignore the second part, hehe...

Anyway, I knew I couldn't do it. He had a dream, just like me. What's wrong with that?

So I shook my head. "No sir, no name. Only some rude comments and a battle."

The officer nodded, obviously having not noticed my hesitation, and left, mumbling about his 'next assignment' as Ethan replaced his spot and pulled me into a hug. My eyes widened in shock as I blushed.

"Lyra, I'm so glad they realize you're innocent!" he murmured, then pulled back, the aura between us growing awkward. "Well, uh, see you later."

I nodded as he left, and took Chikorita into my arms. "Shhh, it's ok…" I whispered soothingly, but a nudge from Professor Elm brought me back into reality.

"What was Mr. Pokemon's big discovery, exactly?" he asked, and I handed him the package. From my bag, slightly tattered by the trip, but he didn't seem to mind.

He seemed reluctant when he realized that it was just an egg, beginning to mumble how they would find out what secrets it held anyways, when I took out my Pokedex and checked how many Pokemon I'd seen. Professor Elm turned, eyes wide, when he saw it.

"Is that… a Pokedex!?" he exclaimed, examining it.

I nodded, grinning with slight pride. "Yeah, Professor Oak gave it to me to fill," I explained, and he gasped, grabbing my shoulders. "Lyra, that's incredible! Oak is very talented in seeing the potential in trainers!" he continued to explain, and then sighed. "Wow Lyra, I knew you were a little different."

Wow, I didn't realize this was such a big deal! I listened eagerly, petting Chik's head, as he offered for me to take up the Pokemon Gym Challenge. Battling the League Champion sounded cool. These Gym badges would be a breeze!

"The gyms are scattered throughout the region, so in order to challenge them all, you must go on a long journey. If you're serious about this, you should go inform your mother," Elm advised, and with that, I again, left the lab. Dangit, what's with all these setbacks!?

**Finally, the journey truly begins! I'll be updating once a week from now on, so stay tuned! Oh, and sorry if this was kinda rushed.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I had to make several versions of this chapter, with different scenarios, wondering if I should include Silver, so if it's late, not my fault! Blame the imagination!**

**Silver: Whatever…**

**Lyra: Pleaseeeee no more setbacks?**

**SFL: Maybe.**

**Lyra: *le huff* Fine. I'll live with that if Silver does the disclaimer.**

**SFL: Deal.**

***The two shake hands***

**Silver: Ugh, FINE. SpringFallionLettuce does not own Pokémon.**

**SFL: Sigh…**

Slowly, I crept into my house, peaking in through the doorway.

Mom seemed too busy cooking to notice me enter, but the second I closed the door rather sheepishly behind me, she whipped her head around and gave a look good enough to be an example of Leer.

"I have a feeling you want to ask me a question that will be life-changing if I say yes," she explained.

I huffed at this and glanced down at Chik, hoping for an encouraging smile, but instead got a snicker. Realizing that was the best I was going to get, I took a deep breath.

"CanItraveltheregionandcollectgymbadges?" I blurted out. There, I said it.

Of course, if I got suffocated by the hug Mom had currently wrapped me in, I would die before I left the house.

"My little girl is growing up!" she squealed. I coughed dramatically, begging for air. She got the message and let go. I took another deep breath to refill m desperate lungs, and smiled.

"Is that a yes?" I questioned, and Chik mirrored my hopeful expression. Mo let out a little laugh, petting the Pokémon by my side, and nodded, before looking up again. "Of course, sweetheart, but I can't just sit here. I want to help!"

I raised an eyebrow, adjusting my large hat in confusion. "Huh?" I mumbled.

She just smiled. "You know how you receive money when you win a battle?"

"Uh, yeah…"

"Send half of it home to me, and I'll keep track of it for you!"

To say the least, I was surprised. I didn't like the idea of giving half of my cash to my shopping-loving mom. I laughed nervously, shaking my head. "I've got it mom, no need to worry!"

My mom seemed slightly down for a moment, but when she looked up again, a soft smile spread across her face. "Promise to write?" she asked.

I chuckled softly, nodding and picking up little Chik. "Cross my heart," I stated in reply, and with a final parting hug, I left the house, my home since I was small, and finally began my journey.

"Yay, adventure…" I grumbled.

Chik had gotten tired from all the walking, so I returned him to his poke ball when we passed Mr. Pokémon's house. The training was pretty fun, and my Pokedex was getting a tiny bit filled. Did it count if I just encountered them?

Arceus, I hope so…

Anyway, it was only halfway through the Route that I finally noticed the setting sun, and was so shocked that I checked my Poke gear, trying to tell if it was really getting dark or if Mother Nature was just trolling me. Unfortunately, it was not the latter, so I found a nice little clearing, and set up camp.

The dull, barf-like green tent was a bit difficult, but with the newly rested Chik's help, I set it up nice and sturdy. Next, I took out an electric (no fire, because Chik was a grass-type and wouldn't like it, to the best of my knowledge) lantern, and turned it on, placing it in the middle of the tent's floor.

I continued after a bit of admiration for my work, taking out a rolled-up red sleeping bag and a small pet bed for Chik. It was about that time that my stomach grumbled, so I took out my sandwich and water after giving Chik a bowl of Poke food.

"Finally, I'm starving…" I mumbled, opening my mouth to take a bite, when suddenly…

"Hoot!"

"Ehhhh!?" I shouted, opening my eyes to see a Pokémon snatching my sandwich from my hands and gobbling it up. Jumping into action, I took out my Pokedex and identified the Pokemon as Hoothoot.

It looked up at me with this smug little smile and I growled, pointing toward it. "Chik, go!"

Chik, who was angry at the Hoothoot for rudely interrupting his peaceful eating, jumped into action and cut down the Hoothoot by 2/3s of its health with a direct hit from Razor Leaf before going back to its food with an expression that said 'My work here is done'

My grumbling stomach long forgotten, I took up the opportunity to search for an empty poke ball, silently thanking Mom for packing me some earlier (Can't believe I actually admitted it…), and threw it at the Hoothoot. It was immediately gripped by light and, after a few agonizing twitches, the ball stilled, and I let out a loud "Woop!"

Chik had no part in this, however, and had comfortably placed himself in a curled position on his little bed. Party pooper…

Ew, what was that smell?

Oh crap, I wasn't serious! Dangit Chik!

I sighed, shaking my head and taking off my clothes, changing into some poke-dotted pajamas. I then retrieved Hoothoot's poke ball and released the wary Pokémon.

"Hey, I thought you'd want to sleep outside of the poke ball, or maybe look around, being a nocturnal Pokémon and all…" I explained, and she chirped happily, twirling around on one foot. She then left the tent and assumed a comfortable perch on the nearest tree to keep watch.

With that, I snuggled up under the covers of my sleeping bag and yawned. "This whole Pokémon journey was harder than I thought… Oh well, shouldn't keep dream land waiting…"

**Wooo, chapter 4 is out! Hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far. If you're wondering why I'm stretching it out so much, I got some reviews saying I was rushing things, so I decided to improve it. Noctowl is one of my favorite flying-types, so Lyra has a Hoothoot that steals sandwiches!**

**This should get interesting…**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back! Happy New Years everyone! Sorry about the extra-late chapter, so just expect crap like that around a big deal holiday season, k?**

**Lyra: Silver's hair is Christmas red! How holiday-ish...**

**Silver: Shut up **

**SFL: Is Silver... BLUSHING!? :O**

**Silver: No... **

**Lyra: Before this gets worse... SpringFallionLettuce does not own Pokemon.**

**SFL: You just **_**had**_** to ruin the fun... Oh well, Christmas is sooooo 2 weeks ago. Literally.**

My nose twitched, and I sneezed so that Chik's leaf, which he was currently tickling my face with, blew up in a puff of air.

The area was blurry, so I rubbed the sand out of my eyes and blinked. Slowly, my vision cleared to reveal the tent I had set up the night before, Chik's (and now Hoothoot's, apparently) food bowl empty, and said Pokemon standing next to my sleeping back with a mix between innocent, hopeful smiles and evil, mischevious smirks.

"Dangit you guys, five more minutes..." I half whined, rolling over to shield myself from the sunlight with my pillow, but to no avail, as Hoothoot had chosen to take more drastic measures by sitting on my head.

I batted him away frantically. "Ow ow ow talons talons talons owwww!" I shrieked and rubbed my head as Hoothoot hopped off.

"Fine, I'll get up," was the translation of the faint grumble I let out, unzipping my sleeping bag and climbing out. My now free hands grabbed my clothes and I gave Hoothoot and Chik pointed looks. Hoothoot got the message quicker than sweet, dense little Chikorita and turned her back to me, gesturing with her wing for Chik to do the same.

I laughed as Chik finally understood and frantically turned around, his large leaf covering his face while I changed into my regular clothes. "Ok you two, I'm decent," I assured them, popping my large hat on as they turned.

Being the amazing pokemon trainer I was, I immediately assessed the situation and put them both to work. "Hoothoot, you undo the tent while I get the sleeping bag and lantern. Chik, you pack up the bowl and sweep away any extra crumbs with your leaf."

They were startled by my serious tone, but after a moment of recovery, jumped into action.

"Wow, Chik, I was looking forward to being like 'You missed a spot~!' but unfortunately for me you're really talented," I half-teased, half-complimented while stuffing the lantern into my bag. Yes, it's possible. You saw it here first, folks!

Chik chirped in reply, puffing out his chest with pride as he finished sweeping. I had already finished my job and began helping Hoothoot, who seemed to be having a little trouble. But, after getting tangled in a web of rope and tent multiple times, we finally got it, and were ready to continue on to Violet City.

That was when I checked my Pokegear for the time.

...

Hold the phone. Right now.

"_You woke me up at 4:30!?"_ I screamed, fire and rage evident in my eyes. Chik attempted to keep a straight, fearless face, immediately pointing accusingly at Hoothoot, who was backing away with nervous, laugh-like hoots.

I gritted my teeth, taking out my Poke ball and recalling the owl Pokemon. "I'll deal with you later..."

* * *

Finally, as the sun was just peaking above its hiding place below the tree-filled horizon, I found my way to a good ol' route connector thingy. As a civilian walked by, I snickered at the reminder of my pwnage at battling this youngster and his Rattata that asked for my number after I wiped the forest floor with his butt. What was his name, again? Jo? John? Oh yeah, Joey!

Anyway, the moment I entered, a figure followed and bumped into me. He, so I assumed, didn't utter a word of apology, continuing to chase the small Pokemon that had slipped between my legs and toward the other door.

"Why you little-" I started, gritting my teeth in fury as I retrieved an almost completely trampled Chik into my arms, patting his head, until I finally recognised my assailant and his Pokemon accomplice.

"Ethan?" I somewhat gaped when he grabbed Marill before it could escape behind the counter unnoticed, due to the fact that the rather frazzled employee was fast asleep. He turned around and saw me for what I assumed was the first time since he just bumped into me, due to the huge smile that broke out from one ear to the other on his face.

He walked over, allowing Marill to hang out on his shoulder. "Lyra! I'm so glad you're doing good so far, though I didn't know you were past me! Sorry that I bumped into you..." he said, rubbing the back of his head in clear embarassment.

"It's alright! Chik's kinda pissed but he'll get over it," I shrugged casually, hiding a small giggle at Chik's betrayed expression.

Ethan nodded, letting out a small chuckle as he reached into his pocket and brought out a device. "Anyway, I forgot about this when you were leaving, so I came out this morning to give it to you!" he explained, handing it to me before continuing.

"This is the Vs. Recorder. It records all of your battles. Isn't that cool?" the fellow trainer exclaimed, puffing up his chest in pride while Marill gave a cry of agreement.

I placed the device in my Key Items pocket before nodding. "Yeah, it's really cool, Goldie! Thanks!" I smiled, remembering the nickname I would always use when we were kids. Chik, on the other hand, found it quite entertaining, and was currently snickering to her heart's content in my embrace.

He returned the smile before running off, throwing a witty comeback over his shoulder as he slid through the door. "You aren't getting past me again, so savour that moment!"

As usual, a witty comment to end the day. I just rolled my eyes and went with it. That was a typical parting with Ethan. End of conversation, use of an old nickname, and a the-ego-is-talking goodbye.

Chik let out a small cry, begging to be put down, which I happily gave in to, as he was heavier than her looked. He began to paw at the door that would lead us to Violet City, our first real challenge, and the true beginning of our adventure.

"Onward!" I then shouted, joustling the counter person whatever awake, putting one hand on my hip and pointing the other toward the door as mini fireworks lit up around my form. I immediately glanced around, mirrored by Chik, but eventually just shrugged and gave him a look that read 'Don't question it.'

**So, so sorry for the lateness! The holidays are totally messing with me T_T How about I do a chapter next Monday AND next Tuesday to make up for lost time?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys!**

**Lyra: To avoid anymore holiday confusion, we are now back on a somewhat stable posting schedule! ^-^**

**Silver: Whatever, SFL is such an irrisponsible author...ess...**

**SFL: You know, I could make your pants fall down with just a few taps of my keyboard.**

**Silver: WHAT!?**

**SFL: MWUAHAHAHAHA**

**Silver & Lyra: SpringFallionLettuce does not own Pokemon in any way, shape, or form. **

**NOTE: I noticed that sometimes I accidently call a female a he and a male a she, especcially with the Pokemon, so lemme get it straightened out:**

**Chikorita(Chik): Male**

**Hoothoot: Female**

**Marill(Ethan's): Female**

**Cyndaquil(Silver's): Female**

**Got it? Good. Sorry for any past confusion.**

I slid the door open to the Pokemon Center, still tinkering with the Vs. Recorder thingy-ma-jigger that Ethan had given me. Chik, already used to the regular drill, jumped back into his Poke ball as it was placed onto the tray with Hoothoot's ball and passed to a somewhat creepy and defiantly over-cheery Nurse Joy.

Wait.

I immediately looked closer to the Nurse in front of me, narrowing my eyes in deep suspicion. "How'd you get here before me, and why aren't you in Cherrygrove?" I questioned her.

Nurse Joy giggled. "Oh, you must have met my second cousin three times removed, Joy. She works over in Cherrygrove."

"Um...ok, then, I guess?" I replied. Truthfully, I was completely befuddled by the identicalness of such distant relatives, but oh well. I decided to just shrug it off and take a trip over to the Poke Mart for some more supplies, just in case, while Hoothoot and Chik were being healed.

The man at the counter had carefully combed brown hair and an apron on, stranegly similar to Cherrygrove, but he had a different, bored attitude.

"Hello, what can I do for you, miss?" he asked.

I gave him a polite smile, taking out some money I had easily won from some overly proud 10 year olds on the way to Violet City, and half-slamming it on the counter. "I'm buying. 3 potions please, and some Pokemon food," I asked, and counter-boy, as I had now officially nicknamed him, heaved out a lazy sigh, getting up from his position of leaning with his elbows on the counter, and went to find the items.

That gave me some time to think about his actions, and when he returned with my potions and Pokemon food, I smirked. "What's with your attitude?"

At this question, he just... broke down. His frown, no longer bored, was one of heartbrokenness and defeat.

"If you must know, I wanted to be a trainer like you, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never capture a Pokemon of my own," he explained.

Wow. That was... really depressing, but, you know me, the chosen one of two professors and self-dubbed coolest person in Johto. I never turn down a person in need!

So I pulled out my Pokegear, some paper, and a pencil, and wrote down my Pokegear number. "Take this," I finally offered, handing him the paper. "When you've collected enough money to begin your journey with all the neseccary supplies, give me a call, and I'll come to help you catch a Pokemon!"

Counter-boy was, for a few moments of silence, too shocked to speak or even move. But soon, he gingerly took the tattered piece of paper as if it were a golden relic, and nodded. "You have no idea how much this means to me... Thank you," he whispered, and I nodded, stuffing the items I had bought, along with my extra money, into my bag, and heading for the door.

"Hey! Wait!" The boy shouted, and I stopped, curiously looking over my shoulder toward him. "Hm?"

He stuttered for a second before finally speaking. "What's your name?"

I held back a giggle. Instead, I simply returned his shy smile with a confident one. "Lyra, from New Bark Town," I introduced myself, and waited for his reply.

Without hesitation, and finally sharing my confidence, he smirked. "Alan's the name."

And with that, I left the Poke Mart.

* * *

When I noticed how dark it already was outside, and how Nurse Joy was outside the Pokemon Center with my Poke balls in confusion, made me realise how long I was talking to Alan. Of course, that surprise changed into confusion when I saw a little girl, maybe 5 or 6, sobbing against the wall of the Pokemon Center.

I immediately took my Poke balls from Nurse Joy, stuffing them into my bag before heading toward the girl, gently touching a light brown Ponyta-tail to let her know I was there.

"What's your name?" was the first question that came to mind, my voice causing her to look up at my calm, soothing smile.

"M-Mimi," she whispered, as if embarassed that I had seen her crying.

I nodded and squatted down to her height, placing my hands on my knees. "Alright Mimi, I need you to tell me why you're crying. Who knows, maybe I can help you?"

At this, Mimi's face became completely covered in a hopeful smile, but it vanished when she began to explain herself.

"I went out and caught a pretty Pokemon for my Mommy's birthday today, but when I was going to show it to Daddy and wrap it with him, these bad men showed up and took it away into the forest!" she exclaimed, sniffling and pointing toward the trees. I clenched my fists in rage, gritting my teeth.

"Mimi, when were you going to give your Mommy that Pokemon?" I asked, calling out Chik and Hoothoot and explaining the situation to them in a hushed tone. Chik nodded sternly while Hoothoot cooed her understanding.

The toddler wiped her red eyes, trying to remember. "Tomorrow morning. I've been waiting so long for her birthday..." she explained, and Hoothoot rubbed her leg affectionately.

I nodded my head, gathering Chik into my arms and glancing toward Hoothoot. "Hoothoot will stay with you and keep you safe if they come back. She's very intelligent, so even if you don't battle much, she'll probably know what to do," I explained, remembering the books on Flying-types and Water-types that Ethan used to boast about when they were playing at his house as kids. Glad random facts finally helped with something...

Mimi smiled and hugged Hoothoot to her chest. "Ok pretty lady, I'll wait at my house with Daddy! It's near here," she explained before running off, Hoothoot following in suite.

When Mimi was out of sight, I began walking toward where the little girl said her attackers ran off to. I paused at the treeline and glanced down at Chik, who gave me a questioning look.

I let out a small sigh before a smirk glided across my face.

"'Tis time to kick some butt."

Chik's cry of agreement was drowned out by my grumbling stomach.

"Hopefully kicking butt will be short enough for us to get back in time for dinner..."

**Ha! Yes! I knew I would be able to finish a chapter in a day! SUCCESS!**

**Anyhue, R&R, cya.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hai gaiz!**

**Lyra: SFL has been pretty sick this week.**

**Silver: 'Hasn't been able to get her lazy authoress butt off the couch all week, so that's why the update's a bit late.**

**Lyra: Bingo, Silvo.**

**Silver:...What did you just call me?**

**SFL: *noms on chicken noodle soup, eating the bowl as well* _-nom nom-_ I don't _-nom-_ own Poke _-nom nom-_ mon.**

To Chik, I must have been pretty freaky as I stomped through the forest. But this was me. My 'rage mode' so to speak. I would have this really creepy yet cheerful smile on my face, occassionally start humming, etc.

Seriously though, who steals a Pokemon from a little girl? What kind of heartless monsters were I dealing with here?

After a while though, my starter got used to my little phase, and climbed onto my head. I giggled as he nestled into the hat I wore, making a little nest for himself. That was when we heard arguing voices deeper in. I took Chik off my hat and lowered myself closer to the ground, into a crouching position, while advancing toward them.

"Look at that thing, Herp! It's _useless_!" Wierd Uniform Man #1 shouted.

Herp (Wierd Uniform Man #2) clutched the crying pink Pokemon to his chest. "Come on, Derp! It's probably really cool! We just need to show it who's boss!" he replied.

"Hmmm," I mumbled, fishing out my Pokedex and muting it. My arm pushed through the bush in order to scan it properly. "Hoppip, huh? Those are kinda rare around here... Nice score Mimi."

However, a nudge from Chik reminded me that we- literally -weren't out of the woods yet, so I jumped up, crossing my arms and giving them both my best 'are you freaking kidding me?' death glare. The element of surprised seemed to work out as they both yelped and turned toward me, eyes wide, before regaining their precious macho.

I rolled my eyes toward the sky. Men and their pride these days... Still, no time to dwell on that. I had two idiots to send packing and a crying toddler to pacify. After a bit of thought, I became grateful that one led to another.

Herp cleared his throat, giving me a weak glare. "Who are you?"

"Someone you've pissed off, but if this isn't the first time you've stolen from a little girl, that list might be pretty long," I answered with a shrug, then smirked. "How about I propose a little... contest of sorts. If I win against both of you, one battle at a time, then you give me that Pokemon safely tucked in its poke ball. If I loose, do what you want."

Derp chuckled, fishing out a poke ball. He held it out dramatically. "Deal. Zubat, go!"

Herp shakily catched on, waiting on the sidelines for his turn. My smirk grew wider, and I pointed at the intended target Pokemon. "Chik, I choose you! Use Razor Leaf!" I shouted, and Chik, who had been watching from the trees, jumped out and wasted no time letting the attack loose.

"Zubat, dodge!" he cried out, but he had hesitated, giving Zubat no time to react to the sharp leaves that began to bruise its wings.

Unfortunately for Zubat, I was still in a bad mood, and was not reluctant of my next command. "Chik, use your Vine Whip and slam it into the ground!" I ordered, and he did just that. After a moment of struggling from Zubat, it stilled, and Derp reluctantly returned it to its poke ball.

After that, it took a while for Herp to catch on to what both of our glaring meant, and he jumped up from his near-dozing off and hastily took out a poke ball. His clumsy throw that released a Rattata caused Chik and I to share a smirk, but our confidence gave Herp time to give out his first order.

"Rattata, Quick Attack, then Bite its leaf!" he shouted, pointing at Chik. The Rattata ran forward at an alarming pace and barreled into Chik, biting down on the giant leaf on his head. Chik cried out in pain, and for a moment, my eyes flickered concern. It was gone as quick as it came, though, as I realized that the best way to help him at that moment was to win this battle and get it over with.

"Chik, use Vine Whip and slam dunk em'!" I ordered, remembering the routine we had discussed during our walk. It was time to test all the practice we had done on wild Pokemon to see if it paid off. Chik, though in pain, loyally followed my orders and wrapped his vines around the assailant, thrusting it up in the air and letting go. We allowed it to fly up for a bit before rewrapping it and slammed it into the ground, leaving a tiny crator.

Rattata clumsily wobbled about before falling onto its side, and Herp looked like he was about to cry. They both did. Derp was just taking his anger out differently as he returned the scared Hoppip and tossed me the poke ball. "It was weak, anyway."

I smiled over at Mimi, who was smiling brightly, hugging the now completely wrapped poke ball as her brother continued to converse with me. I inwardly groaned. He had been expressing his gratefulness to Chik, Hoothoot, and I since I got back the night before.

He explained that his name was Falkner, and that his father was currently making ready for the small family surprise party. Falkner claimed that his father knew of the situation, and that he had contacted him on his Pokegear the second I gave him the Hoppip's poke ball. It did not take long for them to welcome me to stay in their guest room for the night, as their father had ended up inviting me to the party. Though, being the responsible teen I am, I only agreed to stay until she opened Mimi's present.

It was then that I explained the reason for my journey. After all, a future Champ has to let people know ahead of time, so they could be prepared for my overwhelming awesomeness. It was then that Mimi burst into giggles and Falkner smirked.

"I'm the leader of the Violet City gym, at your humble service," he had said.

But of course there was a plot twist.

My first reply was, if he was the strong gym leader, why did he not go after those jerks himself?

"I was dealing with one of my challengers, so Mimi could not contact me at the time." Oh. Duh.

So, here we all were. I stopped his train of words with a finger to his lips. "Shush," I ordered pointedly, and he huffed. After a moment, I let a smirk grow on my face. "After the party, I'm challenging you for a gym battle, so you better be ready, got it?"

Falkner nodded, returning my smirk, just as a man who basically looked like an older Falkner rushed into the room. "She's coming, everyone, hide!"

It was like they had practiced. Falkner dived behind the couch I was sitting on, Mimi behind the chair, and Falkner's dad behind the TV. I just kind of sat there dumbly until Falkner dragged me behind the couch as well.

A young woman with light red hair entered the room, her eyes alight with confusion, and I could not resist a peek. "Hello?" she called out, and, like we planned, everyone popped out.

"_Surprise!_"

Mimi wasted no time giving her mother the poke ball present. Falkner and his father immediately followed through and explained how I retrieved it from the thieves. It was satisfying to see her open the poke ball and hug Hoppip, tears rolling down her face.

"All of you... thank you," she sniffled.

I entered the Violet City gym with a confident smile, looking down at Chik, who shared the same expression. However, a look of confusion corrupted that when I looked ahead of me.

"What the hell?" I blurted out, staring at the see-through walkways that acted as a bridge to Falkner, over a gaping hole. This was not what I thought a gym would be like, but who was I to not enjoy an adventure?

I surveyed the area, trying to think up a strategy. It didn't exactly give much room for imagination, though. There were two ways to go.

Numero Uno: Go straight on through and battle all the trainers.

Numero... uh... B: Travel in an C pattern and avoid eye contact.

Chik looked eager to battle, even though my Pokedex told me that Grass-types were weak against Flying-types. I gave him my best Poochyena eyes and sniffled. "But... but I'm so lazyyy!" I argued.

My starter stared at me for a moment before letting out a 'Can't be helped' sigh and apparently gave in. I let out a victorious Woop! and then remembered where I was when the sound echoed. "Crap, oops..."

I took a deep breath. This was it. My first true step toward the Pokemon League. Slowly, very slowly, but very surely, I took a hesitant step onto the literal path toward victory. The supposed glass did not waver, so I took another, and another, gingerly moving down the path of avoiding possible eye contact with any minors.

In no time, I was in front of Falkner, who stood with a smirk on a slightly higher platform. "So, you made it? Congratulations. I hate to pay you back for helping my family by beating you, but my Pokemon are so powerful, it's impossible to go easy," he explained. "Do you still wish to try your luck?"

Hoothoot's poke ball was already in my hand and I nodded. "This'll be too easy," I mumbled in response and ushered Chik to the sidelines.

Falkner smiled. "As you wish. Pidgey, go!"

"Hoothoot, time to shine!" I shouted in response, the two flying-types appearing on either side of the battlefield. Hoothoot tilted to the side, as if confused, while Pidgey cooed and flapped its wings.

"Pidgey, huh? Where've I seen you before..." I mumbled, fishing out my Pokedex. "Oh, that's right, you were on my first route!"

Falker gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "My Pidgey is special! Your Hoothoot is no match for its power! Pidgey, Peck!"

I rolled my eyes and waved off his attempt of intimidation. "Whatever you say. Hoothoot, use Hypnosis!"

Hoothoot didn't move as Pidgey lunged forward and attempted to peck it. Her eyes were closed and she listened to the sound of her opponent's footsteps until Pidgey was only a few steps away. Hoothoot then opened her eyes, letting off subtle psychic waves and stopping Pidgey in its tracks. I smiled as she cooed comfortingly as a mother does to her young as Pidgey was lulled to sleep and collapsed onto the battlefield.

I chose not to wait for Falkner to think over the situation, instead taking action. "Hoothoot, use Tackle!" I commanded, and Hoothoot set to work, lunging, nipping, pecking, and any other attack she could think of while Falkner shouted for Pidgey to snap out of it.

After a few minutes, Pidgey's eyes turned to swirls as it let out a snore.

I smirked and petted Hoothoot as she cooed and nuzzled my hand, both of us watching as Falkner called Pidgey back and pulled out his second poke ball. "Fine, we'll just have to use my secret weapon!" he shouted. "Pidgeotto, go! Use Gust!"

Dexter, the name I had given my handy dandy Pokedex, was on it right away. "Pidgey's evolved form, huh? Unique. Hoothoot, Hypnosis!" I commented. Hoothoot attempted the same tactic again, but was promptly blown away with her assailant's Gust attack.

Gritting my teeth, I looked over Hoothoot's attacks again, and thought up a new plan. "Hoothoot, spring up!" I ordered. Hoothoot glanced at me for only a moment in confusion, but did as I said and used her one leg as a spring to jump up into the air. "Now use Peck!"

Hoothoot cooed in understanding and hit Pidgeotto with a barrage of pecks, instinctively aiming for the wings. It left no openings for the other Flying-type to attack, and after a while it fell to the ground and fainted.

That was my breaking point.

Don't worry, it was in a good way.

I sprinted out onto the battlefield and gathered Hoothoot into my arms. Chik had jumped up from his resting place and joined the hug while I shouted, "We did it!"

Meanwhile, Falkner's jaw seemed to have injured the floor with its fall. "I... I lost? And so easily...?" he whispered, then sighed, walking over to my group hug.

I looked up at him in confusion, then remembered where I was, and quickly stood up, Hoothoot and Chik at my right and left. Falkner checked his pockets and slowly took out a small silver badge.

"Though I thought I was powerful, you won over both of my Pokemon with only one, one of the Flying-Types I love so much. Take this Zephyr badge and go forward. Become stronger. Mimi and I will cheer you on for all you'e done for us," he said, smiling. Tentatively, I took the badge from his hand and clipped it onto the flap of my bag.

And became that much closer to becoming the Champion.

* * *

**Haiiiii. As we speak I am working on the next chapter, sick or not, so look out! Also, a level update!**

**Info: After every major event (Team Rocket Admin Battle, Gym Leader, etc.) I will give updates on the team.**

**Chikorita (Nickname: Chik): Male, Lvl 15. Moveset: Tackle, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip.**

**Hoothoot (Nickname: N/A): Female, Lvl 14. Moveset: Tackle, Hypnosis, Foresight, Peck.**

**If you want any of Lyra's Pokemon to learn certain moves, be sure to let me know!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Onward until I _actually_ find something to do with my life!**

**Silver: Which we all have to agree, will _never _happen.**

**Lyra: Oh shut it, you grump.**

**SFL: Seconded.**

**Silver: I'm being ganged up on... Lyra!**

**Lyra: Hey, she could write anything she wants about us, so heck yeah I'm gonna play it safe.**

**Silver: Whatever... SFL doesn't own Pokémon, she's too stupid.**

***Silver's pants fall down***

**Silver: AH!**

**Lyra: *le gasp***

**SFL: Serves you right.**

For all you guys out there who want to be the future Champion (Already taken by moi in this story, so keep dreaming), I want to prepare you. There is nothing like getting your first gym badge. _Nothing._ None! zero! zip!

I walked out of there feeling like I had a flowing cape and freaking trumpets blaring, with a cheering crowd of adoring fans waiting for me. Then the door closed, and my chest deflated when I realized that I was the only one acting like an idiot. Chik gave me a sympathetic look.

So I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall of the gym, slowly sliding to the ground. My eyes travelled to the badge where it rested, clipped onto the flap of my bag. I needed a plan. A to-do list. My eyes closed while I thought something up.

First and foremost, I needed to go book a room in the Violet City Pokémon Center. It was too late in the day to start out now, and Hoothoot's performance deserved a good reward.

Second, what if all the gyms were like Falkner's, with a specific type? I would need to ask around about type advantages and which the gym leaders of Johto favored.

Third, I had been prepared for Falkner and his flying-types because I had trained. I doubted that the other leaders were of the same skill and I honestly wanted to be as prepared as possible. The short version, you ask? We were going to train a crap ton more.

And... I glanced at Chik, who cuddled up against my side. I was never an overly social person, and my current Pokémon were powerful enough, but from what I already knew type advantage was not something to overlook. I needed more teammates. I wouldn't rush, though, and choose the first Pokémon to walk on along, but I couldn't wait too long either.

I opened the flap of my bag and found Hoothoot's poke ball. She'd be a bit tired still, but awake enough to make a decision, and she would probably appreciate that I valued her opinion.

The button disappeared as my finger covered it, and Hoothoot was released, gingerly ruffling her feathers. "I have something I need to ask you guys," I explained, and the two straightened, listening more closely.

"Let's face it. We don't know a dang thing about Gym leaders, and when we walk in, they'll probably know it. Type advantage is a jerk. So, what I'm trying to ask is... do you guys want some homies? I won't do anything you don't want to," I assured them. Hoothoot seemed a bit cautious, apparently looking at Chik for advice. The starter Pokémon was eager to agree on it, though. He nodded his little head and nuzzled my side. After seeing his reassuring reaction, Hoothoot cooed in satisfaction.

At their happy replies, I visibly relaxed, shouldering the strap of my bag closer to my neck. I grabbed Hoothoot's poke ball and returned her for a rest, then kneeled down and allowed Chik to hop onto my shoulder. The Pokémon Center wasn't too far, but the sun was already setting. I had checked the free meal time schedule beforehand, so, with a quick glance at my Pokegear (Which read 5:22), I knew that I had maybe thirty minutes to get comfortable in my booked room.

"Ugh, I didn't realize Violet City could be so hard to navigate in the dark!" I gasped dramatically when the Pokémon Center doors closed behind me.

Nurse Joy gave me a gentle smile. "Hello, and welcome back to the Pokémon Center! Would you like me to heal your Pokémon and feed them while you eat in your room? Your food should be on the table right inside."

I considered it for a moment, then smiled and handed Chik, who, mind you, was a very loud yawner, to the sweet Nurse, along with Hoothoot's poke ball. After a quick thank you and assurance that by 6:30 my Pokémon would be delivered to my room via a Chansey, I finally began to walk down the hall to find my room.

"1A... 2B... 6C!" I murmured, walking into the room I selected earlier and surveying my surroundings. The floor was a nice green wall to wall carpet, the walls were white. Off to my right, against the wall, was a small, lilac bunk bed with an oak, oval coffee table in the middle of the room.

And then I spotted the tray of food on table. "Jackpot! Come to mama, my darling!" I snickered and sat on the bed, laying the tray on my lap and grabbing the remote from the coffee table. I was a bit of a TV fan, and enjoyed most of the shows. Unfortunately, the TV on the opposite wall had none of the channels I enjoyed.

"Ugh, this is gonna be a long night..." I growled, but it came out more like a whine, causing me to huff angrily. Well, at least the vegetable soup was great. Whoever made the dinners at the Pokémon Centers were really talented. I would thank them later, maybe give a tip, too.

Just then, I heard a knock at the door. I took one last spoonful of soup, then set the tray back on the coffee table, turned off the boring Pidgey documentary that I had left the TV on, and walked over to open the door. Nurse Joy stood on the other side, holding a tray with Hoothoot's poke ball and a resting Chik.

I mirrored her kind smile as I pocketed the poke ball and took my sleeping grass-type into my arms. "That was fast."

"Your Pokémon are very behaved, so it took less time. Oh! I almost forgot the reason I came instead of a Chansey..." the nurse replied, searching her apron's pockets, and retrieving a large amount of coins. "Mimi stopped by after you gave me your Chikorita and Hoothoot. She told me that her brother Falkner, the gym leader, forgot to give you your prize money. Congratulations on beating him!" she exclaimed, handing me the cash.

I just gaped at the huge amount for several minutes before finally composing myself. "You know Mimi?" I questioned.

Nurse Joy nodded, her hands clasped in front of her. "Oh yes! She's friends with everyone in town! She helps take care of the Chansey here on weekends."

My mouth formed an 'O' shape, and I slowly nodded. "Got it. Well anyway, thanks for everything. Goodnight!" I cheered, and closed the door. Probably not the best manners, but I was too tired to mind those silly things. What I really wanted was to just relax in bed and listen to the radio. That was unfortunately a no-no to Fate, cuz it would have none of it.

I finally laid down on the bed, ready to go to sleep and slipping my arm under the pillow, when I felt something slide underneath my fingers. Naturally, I grabbed it and pulled it out.

"_Pokémon Of Kanto_..." I read, flipping through the pages. It was like a Pokedex, except a magazine. Oh well, I liked to read myself to sleep anyway.

* * *

**DON'T KILL ME!**

**This was a bit of a transition chapter, as you can see. Also, if you want a certain Pokémon to be a part of Lyra's team, just let me know!**

**Quick Note: Updates are now on Mondays.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! New chapter!**

**Lyra: Finally! I feel neglected.**

**Silver: Yeah, you started another story before you finished ours!**

**SFL: Come on guys, don't be selfish! My other fanfiction needs its attention too! Besides, I haven't even decided if I want to make it legit or not!**

**Silver: Whatever...**

**Lyra: SpringFallionLettuce does not own Pokémon!**

"Chika! Chikorita!"

"Ugh..." I grumbled, my eyes fluttering open and staring into a pair of green ones, right smack-dab in front of my face. I shrieked and sat up, the jolting movement propelling Chik up into the air with a cry of surprise.

I huffed and caught him nimbly, immediately pulling him closer to stare into his eyes with a glare. "Don't _ever_ freak me out like that, got it?!" I reprimanded.

Chik sniffled, his eyes widening.

Stay strong, Lyra...

His eyes began to water.

It's a trick...

His bottom lip trembled.

"Oh heck, I can never stay mad at you when you give me that face," I grumbled, hugging the Grass-type to my chest in hope of hiding his victorious smile from my view.

I then noticed Hoothoot, who was currently perched over at the door and cooing, gesturing to the clock on the wall. CRAP! It was already 8:45!? I saw an article on some place called 'Sprout Tower' in the magazine I feel asleep with, and I figured, why not train there til noon, THEN head out of Violet City? "Come on guys, let's go!"

* * *

I smiled, enjoying the serenity of the bridge and the stiff tower ahead. "Sprout Tower, huh? Sounds like a nice place for training..." I murmured, glancing at Chik, who was already bounding ahead, then at Hoothoot, who was perched on my shoulder, cooing in agreement.

So I advanced over the bridge and came to a little slab of cobblestone in between the two bridges to the tower. A little boy was sitting on the ledge, dangling his bare legs in the water.

He noticed me and waved, saying something about the Pokegear that I may or may not have tabbed out on, and I continued to the next bridge. There was a cement sign next to the door that seemed out of place. "A tower where they study diligently to learn to live with Pokémon? So, monks or scholars or something?"

Whatever, I guess I'd find out.

**30 minutes later...**

"If I don't see... another Bellsprout... in my entire life... it'll be... too soon..." I groaned/whined, and my two exhausted Pokémon cried out in agreement through their pants. Sure, we may have... borrowed some loot that we found lying about. A paralyze heal, some berries, whatever. Anyway, the place was crawling with monks and creepy guys. I guess there's a reason why it was called 'Sprout Tower', _everyone had a dang BELLSPROUT!_

We were finally on the 3rd floor when I started questioning why no one here had more than one Pokémon... I just shrugged it off as them being peaceful and not wanting to put more Pokémon into battle than they had to. That would explain why they were all weak as heck.

But no. No, no no no... It was not that. Turns out I wasn't the only trainer who wanted to train today. But I never thought I would run into _him_ again.

"...Silver?" I blurted out, instantly recognizing the red haired thief. Hoothoot cooed in confusion, collapsing onto the ground. I took pity on the poor girl, returning her to her poke ball as Chik growled and took his protective stance in front of me.

Silver turned around, having been talking to what looked like a higher up monk than the others who was petting an injured Bellsprout, his eyes widening for a split second upon seeing me. Then they narrowed when he saw Chik, a smirk widening across his face even as we spoke. "Hmf! he calls himself an Elder, but he was no match for me!" He boasted rudely.

I giggled at his behavior, unable to control myself. Silver's expression turned from cocky to confused in about half a second. "What!?" He demanded.

"You... you just 'humfed' like a little kid!" I managed to reply between giggles, causing Silver's face to flush with anger and embarrassment s much that it matched his hair.

"S-Shut up, Lyra!" The redhead growled, pushing past me, when I grabbed his shoulder. He froze, like he was unsure how to react to the motion.

I eyed him with a dangerous frown. "How do you know my name?"

Silver clenched his fists, finally shrugging off my hand and regaining his composure. "I have connections..." he paused, glancing at Chik, who was still tense and ready to release a Razor Leaf attack. "I see you still haven't traded that useless thing for something stronger."

Almost instantly, I hugged my starter to my chest, poking Silver's with my free hand. "Are we talking about the same Pokémon, because if I remember correctly, in our last battle, _you_ were no match for _him_!"

Chik immediately attempted to agree in his language, but instead, jumped out my hands and onto the ground in front of me, causing Silver to back up a bit. We both watched with wide eyes as Chik began to glow white.

"He's... evolving!" Silver shouted with clarity as Chik's silhouette grew larger, his previously non-existent neck growing by the second.

After a while, the smoke- literally -cleared, and in front of her stood Chik, who looked a LOT different. I instinctively took out my pokedex and allowed it to scan him, then read the information. "Bayleef, huh? Ok, seems like you need a new nickname!"

Silver groaned rather rudely, clearly expressing his indifference to the idea as he began to climb down the ladder. "It doesn't matter how many times that stupid Pokémon evolves, Lyra! I'll always beat you!" he declared.

I rolled my eyes, focusing on hugging Bayleef's long neck. "Oh my gosh, you're so handsome, Bay!" I squealed, feeling him stiffen at the new name. I looked up at him with worried eyes.

"What, you don't like it?" I asked, causing Bay to quickly nod with a smile, showing that he enjoyed his new name. I giggled, hugging him tighter.

"That poochyena face won't work anymore, I hope you know that!"

* * *

**Please don't shoot me with flaming arrows ;-; I promise by the next chapter she'll be on the next route! And yeah, I realized that 'Chik' wouldn't work anymore since he's not a Chikorita... So yeah. ^-^**


End file.
